Since his takeover as the titular character, Jim Downing has been surrounded in mystery. But the truth about his past, his powers, and the strange characters he’s been confronted by are becoming known. He’s finally come face to face with Malebolgia, the creator of the Spawn costume. A brief side note on the costume is long time fans will remember the “wings of redemption.” They make a re-appearance at the end of the previous issue but we really see them here. I’ll speak more on that later though.

In this issue, we see the conclusion of the battle between Spawn and Malebolgia. This book is a true showdown between the two beings. There are no other characters in this issue other than silhouettes in a flashback. Todd McFarlane and Jon Goff’s tale reveals some of the behind the scenes action of both sides in this long-standing war. We also learn something about Jim which will catch many readers by surprise.

Although this is the conclusion of the arc, it isn’t all action. This may disappoint some people who may have been expecting some heavy brawling. But the reveal about Jim’s action in the past is worth the price of admission alone. If you’ve never read Spawn, you should know that the forces of heaven and hell are constantly at war. Jim takes a stance that could change how that battl

Szymon Kudranski, who has been drawing the series since issue #200, has been keeping with his gritty style fitting for this title. Even with the heavenly connection, Spawn has always been a darker book; in both tone and visuals. The use of the darkness is still here, but Kudranski switches it up a bit with the previously mentioned “wings of redemption.” Aided by Fco Plascencia’s vibrant coloring, the panels showing off Jim’s new attachments are vibrant and energetic.

Image Comics has been publishing some amazing books as of late and Spawn is no exception. It is one of my favorite books on shelves right now. If you’ve been keeping up with this series since Jim became Spawn in #185, you will want to pick this up. If you have not been keeping up, the events of this issue will make little sense. I believe the next issue may provide a good jumping on point for new readers as some of the previous plot points have been wrapped up.